Once a year, three generations of our family come together at Emerald Isle and laugh, reminisce, and create new memories that will bring us smiles for years to come. Delighting in life’s simple pleasures, all our cares and worries fade away. For one glorious week we are all children again.
Although arriving from many different places, we converge on our beach house nearly simultaneously – precisely at check-in. None of us wants to miss out on a minute of fun. The kids are already playing excitedly in the sand as we stuff the refrigerator full and set up the canopies on the beach that will serve as our “headquarters” for the next week. We take to heart the sign that hangs in the house, “If you’re lucky enough to be at the beach, you’re lucky enough”.
Sipping coffee on the deck in the mornings rewards us with views of dolphins gliding behind fishing boats. We spend our days building giant sandcastles, collecting shells, and playing in the waves. Afternoon gives way to bocce, horseshoes, and ladderball matches that leave us all with the sense of winning despite what the final score may be. In keeping with tradition, a lively family dinner is topped off with treats from the nearby ice cream shop. Not wanting the day to end, we make our way down to the beach armed with flashlights where kids and adults alike squeal and run from crabs that scurry to and from the surf after dark.
As we pack up our bathing suits and boogie boards on our final night, we are sad that our fantastic week at the beach has come to an end, but at the same time we are already filled with the excitement and anticipation of our next reunion at Emerald Isle.
Past Guest
Knoxville, TN